Dulcimer #2 Build 1st entry #3: entry #4

Welcome back everyone. Hope this holds your interest for a while longer. I am really finding out a lot of stuff as this build progresses. This has been a very long day as a problem was found and had to be overcome are all was lost on the project. Things do get more exacting as we go along.

There was a question about the neck scroll, it was cut all the thru on the band saw and will be relief carved a little bit. As you can see the bottom has been trimmed and sanded flush with the sides. Next I found a problem of sorts. There was a small bow (about 1/8”) up in the bottom and the sides right about where the outer blocks are in place. I do not know what caused this but it did take a long time of adjusting spacers to push the sides out just a bit and the area where the blocks are is shimmed at the top to push the upper rim in a bit. As there are extra glue blocks just to the inside of these I believe the level will be held when the sound board assembly is glued in place. All of this trial and error finally caused the bow to settle back down and lay flush with the mdf mounting board. Those inside spacers w/holes also act as sound baffles.

Another view of the inside with all parts in place.

A view of the back side of the sound board tacked to the fret/fingerboard for final fitting. Notice the groove in the center it is for better sound.

The fret finger board and sound board viewed from the top side. It is ready for fitting to the body and checking for straight and level. The fret finger board must be 100% straight. more on this later.

Drew the leaf and stem sound hole openings and cut out on the scroll saw earlier. They are not sanded yet.

Top assembly fits nice and tight and is level all around. The fret grooves will be sawed tomorrow and if nothing goes out of whack will glue the top assembly on tomorrow afternoon.